


Hold Tight to the Future

by rumpledspinster



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), ouat
Genre: Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, it is a war so there is some angst, minimal angst, no smut in this one, rumbelle at its best here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-29
Updated: 2016-11-29
Packaged: 2018-09-03 00:14:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8689129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rumpledspinster/pseuds/rumpledspinster
Summary: A rumbelle AU set during the Korean War with Gold as a daring pilot and Belle as an idealistic flight nurse. It has a happy ending, because I know the fandom is in dire need of more of them these days.





	

“In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.”- José Narosky

Lieutenant Belle French arrives in Japan on a dreary afternoon. She exits the plane with her duffel bag and gear and looks out over the grey concrete of the airstrip. A jeep pulls up and a cheerful redheaded woman who looks to be about Belle’s age waves to her. “Are you Lt. French? Captain Mal our chief nurse asked me to meet you. I’m Ariel Fishman, pleasure to meet you!” The energetic young woman shook Belle’s hand and then helped her load her things into the back of the jeep. As the jeep made its way to the barracks, Belle and Ariel talked a bit. Belle could tell from the start that they would get on well together. Ariel told Belle that she is being assigned to the 81st Medical Air Evac Squadron. “So we are going to be in the same unit.” Ariel said with a smile and a sparkle in her eyes. Belle checked in and to her happy surprise she found that Ariel was one of her room mates, the other roommate being a tall raven haired beauty named Ruby Lucus. When the introductions were done, Belle set a photo on her small side table and laid down to sleep. Ruby zeroed in on the photo immediately, “Who’s the hunk?”

Belle turned toward the photo and sighed, “Gareth Gaston. Once upon a time he was my future.” Ruby rolled her eyes and huffed, “That’s the thing they never put in the brochures. Flight nurses never get their man.” Ariel sighed, “Ain’t that the truth. He flies his way and you always end up flying another.”

Just then, Captain Mal walked in. “Your vacation is over kids. Korea needs you. Ariel you’re with flight 607, Ruby 608 and Belle 609. Check in with operations with your gear ready in exactly…” She looked at her watch, “54 minutes.” She strode out like a regal queen of old, leaving the girls to pack.

The girls checked in and then boarded the jeep that would take them to the airfield and their respective planes. Belle was the first to be let off and she sighed at the sight of the plane that would be her working conditions. Ariel shook her head, “I bet you thought the air force stopped using C47s back in WW2. Oh well.”

Belle sighed once again and grabbed her duffle bag and gear. She waved goodbye to her new friends as they wished her luck and drove off. As Belle approached the plane, a bespectacled man with an adorably unsure smile approached her. He saluted and she saluted back. 

“Sergeant Archie Hopper Sir. I mean Lieutenant. I mean ma’am. You’re assigned to me. I mean I’m assigned to you.” Archie’s face was bright red as he continued to stutter and struggle to say what he meant. “I’m your tech.”

Belle laughed sweetly at the adorably flummoxed man. “Glad to know you.” Archie nodded gratefully and took her gear aboard. 

A man who appeared to be a little over a decade older than Belle approached her and shook her hand. “Captain Robert Gold. I’m your pilot.”

Belle felt as if she were on autopilot as she shook his hand and felt butterflies flutter in her stomach. His shoulder length hair was silver and seemed to shine as it fluttered gently in the breeze and framed his gorgeous face. Most men towered over small Belle, but Robert seemed to be made for her. He was just tall enough for her to gaze up at him while they danced. Belle shook her head quickly. Where were these silly school girl fantasies coming from? “Umm. It’s very nice to meet you Captain Gold.”   
Belle climbed on board and prepared things for the patients they would be picking up when they reached the base in Korea. The plane creaked and sounded as if it would come apart, but they made it to the base safely and disembarked. There was so much movement! There seemed to be a never-ending trail of ambulances. The wounded and dying were being unloaded and triaged in the desolate dirt of the destroyed rice paddy that had been made into a base. Belle felt overwhelmed by the desperateness that seemed to hover in the air as wounded were brought forward to be loaded on the plane. Belle took a deep breath and began to check their tags. She noted on her chart where in the cargo plane they should be placed and the nature of their injuries. Archie listened carefully as she spoke and quickly followed her instructions, strapping the stretchers in place four to every column one after the other like endless ladders of pain and suffering. 

As the plane took off, Archie looked worried. “It’s my first flight. I just don’t see how we’re going to do this.” Belle placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, “We’ll be alright. You’ll see.”

The plane took off and Gold handed the controls over to his copilot Jefferson, before heading back to check on Belle and Archie. Belle seemed to be everywhere at once as she tended to all her patients. Gold was in awe of her. In his mind, she was like a Valkyrie. Ethereally beautiful and strong. He watched as she grabbed an oxygen mask and tank and tended to a boy who had a bad chest wound. She turned to Gold, “Fly as low as you can. He’s a chest case and even a few feet can make all the difference.”  
Gold nodded, “Do you want me to try to get permission to stop short of the Tokyo base?”

Belle shook her head, “No. We have four head wound cases that have to make it there.” He could see that the choice was difficult for her, but that she had to put the many above the few. 

Gold returned to the cockpit just as the boy began to hemorrhage. “Archie get my medical kit.” Archie rushed and brought the kit to her and then went up to let Gold know what was going on. Jefferson went back to check on them and saw that Belle was trying her best to save the boy. He sought to reassure them, “Gold is getting us there as fast as he can, but it’ll still be an hour.” Belle nodded, never taking her eyes off her work. 

Jefferson returned to the cockpit. “She’s batting her brains out to save that kid, but he’s just slipping through her fingers.”

Gold shook his head sadly, “That boy barely had a chance when they loaded him.”

Jefferson sighed, “Do they always take it this hard?”

Gold shrugged, “Don’t know. I’ve never seen them lose one.”

Jefferson turned to Gold, “You should see her. She clamped off a bleeder with a hemostat just like a regular doc.” Jefferson sighed sadly, “but I just don’t think he’ll make it. She should just give up.”

Gold smiled, “She doesn’t know how. She’s got the stuff.”

Belle got the boy stabilized and took a breath. “Take over Archie.” Belle went to the front. She needed a break from the pain of the hold. She tried to take a deep breath as she looked out of the cockpit window, but she couldn’t help but cry a bit. Gold hated to see her sad. Already he cared and admired her so much. He handed her a handkerchief. “I knew nurses could cry.”

Belle gratefully took the handkerchief and wiped her eyes. She then took a deep breath of his scent that lingered on the cloth. God! He smelled so good. “I’m not crying! I just got dust in my eyes.”

Gold looked contrite. “I’m sorry. We’re bound to lose some of them.” Belle turned to face him, “Who is?! I didn’t lose anybody. That boy is going to be fine! I don’t lose people.” She huffed, “Thanks for the towel service.” She turned on her heels and left the cockpit, but as she did she sniffed the piece of cloth again and tucked it away in her pocket with a smile on her face. 

Jefferson giggled having found the exchange funny. 

“Quit laughing you loon.” Gold sighed, as a broad smile crossed his face. “I’m going to marry that girl.”

Jefferson looked incredulously at Gold. “And how are you going to win said ‘beauty’s’ love?”

Now it was Gold’s turn to look incredulous, “With my charm, of course.”

“Of course.” Jefferson rolled his eyes, but he silently prayed that his friend would succeed. 

 

For the next few days Gold tried repeatedly to get Belle to go out with him. At least dine with him at the Officer’s Club, but she declined and stayed cooped up in her shared room. He tried to get her roommates to help him. Ruby seemed to think he should give up, but Ariel seemed sympathetic, and indeed she tried her best to get Belle to go out so they might ‘accidently’ bump into Gold, but Belle wouldn’t budge from her bed. Ariel had sighed as she talked to Gold over coffee. “She’s still pinning for some guy at home, but he doesn’t give her the time of day. Hasn’t written a letter in months, but I guess she’s still holding on to the dream.” Gold felt jealousy hot in his chest for this guy who seemed to have Belle’s love without even trying. Just then Ruby rushed over to their table. “There you are!” Ariel looked up at her friend’s impatient expression, “What?” Ruby looked Ariel in the eye with a sober expression, “It happened.”

Ariel seemed to know what the ‘it’ was without even asking. “Good or bad?” Ruby rolled her eyes, “Judging by the way she took it, catastrophic.” She pulled Ariel up, “Come on, we need to go cheer her up.” Ariel stopped her, “Wait. Gold should go.”  
Ruby looked confused, but Ariel gave her a knowing smile. “Trust me on this. 

Gold wasn’t sure what was happening, but he nodded at Ariel and rushed off to buy some flowers. The pickings on base were slim, but he was able to get a hold of one brilliant red rose and with it securely in his hand, he set off for her room in the barracks. He knocked gently, and when no one answered he let himself in. Belle looked up from her perch on the edge of her bunk, her face streaked with tears. “I thought you gave up.” She muttered through her sniffles. Her eyes then settled on the rose in his hand. He held it out to her tentatively, “Here. If you’ll have it.” She gently took it from his fingers and sniffed it. “It’s lovely.” She laid it on her table and began to sob once more. Gold took a seat next to her on her cot. “What’s happened?” his voice was one of concern as he placed a warm hand on her shoulder. She wordlessly handed him a tear stained letter. He read the letter in silence and felt himself becoming angrier with each line. It was obvious from the language and tone of the letter that this Gaston person was a narcissistic buffoon. Apparently, he saw himself as a martyr for trying to be patient while she played nurse, but he had needs which apparently included having a vapid trophy wife that he could boast to others had once been a nurse. Apparently, he had since found a blonde who fit the bill and now his engagement to Belle was off. 

Gold crumpled the letter in his white knuckled hand, “I know how you feel and trust me, it’s better you saw him clearly now rather than later.”

Belle huffed as she angrily wiped away her tears. “How can you possibly know how I feel?”

Gold sighed, “I was married once. A woman named Milah. I thought we were happy, but she wanted something more I guess. She pushed me to join up during WW2. Said she wanted to be married to a hero. One I shipped out, she never wrote. Still I shrugged it off. The supply lines weren’t always able to go through. My ankle got busted up when my plane went down and I got shipped home. I thought I’d surprise her. She was making love to another man in our bed. When I caught them, she turned it back on me. She made it all my fault. She had needs, she had said. We got a quick divorce. Neither of us had anything the other wanted. it was later that I realized that all that time I had thought we were happy, she wasn’t. Only then did I see the way she had been berating and belittling me daily with her jabs and comments.” Gold sighed, “That’s why I re-upped when this war broke out. Figured I’d get it all out of my mind.”

Belle placed a hand on his, “I’m so sorry.”

Gold shrugged, “Don’t be. As I said, we’re better off.”

Belle took a deep breath. Maybe this is the beginning of a new dream. She scooted into him and laid her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. And in that silent moment, their hearts seemed to reach out to each other and they both knew that they could find a home in each other. A safe port. 

In the next days, Gold and Belle worked harder than ever. They were so close to the active fire zone now, that their nerves were constantly on edge. One day as Belle and her flight team were helping to unload patients from a helicopter, enemy fighter planes began to bombard the makeshift hospital site with gun fire. Gold grabbed Belle and pulled her to the ground just as bullets hit the spot on the helicopter’s side where her head had been moments before. He pulled her into a nearby trench and held her down. She struggled to get out of his embrace, “That boy will be hit!” she cried as she tried to get back to the wounded patient they had left behind. Gold held her securely as he shouted back over the gunfire, “You’ll be no good to him dead!”

***

After every war  
someone has to tidy up.  
Things won't pick  
themselves up, after all.  
Someone has to shove  
the rubble to the roadsides  
so the carts loaded with corpses  
can get by...  
-Wisława Szymborska (1923–2012), "The End and the Beginning," The End and the Beginning, 1993, translated from the Polish by Stanisław Barańczak and Clare Cavanagh

 

Finally, the mortar fire let up and they rushed back to unloading patients. There was so much to do, so much rushing about that it kept Capt. Robert Gold’s mind busy and kept him from dwelling on how close to death Belle had been, but as he lay on his cot later and tried to get some sleep, he couldn’t keep himself from thinking about it. He still felt her in his arms and could still hear the bullets wiz by them and make impact with the metal. She could be lying dead now, but that was the risk, wasn’t it? He knew they both had signed on for this, but it was different now. Now he understood truly how loved ones back home must feel. He couldn’t imagine losing Belle. Belle deserved to have her dream of a beautiful home and children. She deserved to grow old after a long and happy life. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone entering his tent. Belle quickly stepped in and closed the canvas flap behind her. “Hey.” She said simply. “Hey,” he answered. She seemed uneasy as she shifted her weight from foot to foot and twiddled her fingers. He sat up on the cot and held his arms open to her. She quickly crossed the few feet between them and climbed into his arms. His cot was small, but she fit snuggly against his warm body. For a while they just lay together in the dim light of the tent. Gold sighed as he nuzzled her hair, “What do you want Belle?” She rubbed her cheek against his chest, “right now, I just want this.” Gold sighed happily, “but what do you want as your future. Where do you see us?” Belle considered. “I see us together. We have a lovely home with a wrap-around porch, children and a dog, a picket fence.” Gold breathed deeply of her scent, “We can have that sweetheart. We can have that life.” Belle sighed sadly, “It seems so far away. I can’t see past the explosions and the blood.” Gold held her close. “We just have to hold onto each other. We have to hold tightly to that beautiful future together.”

***

Their plane was going to be the last to leave the camp. It was going to stay back to evacuate any last-minute casualties. Mortar fire was all around them when orders came down to torch the tents and supplies and leave. They found themselves surrounded by intense heat and the brilliant red and orange of the firelight, choking smoke, and a cacophony of noise. 

Jefferson ran up to where Gold, Archie, and Belle were loading the plane. “The flight is cancelled. The navy is off shore lobbing a million shells at the enemy. They’re flying right over us at 1,500 ft. We’re gonna have to get out of here in trucks.” Gold shook his head no, “It would take too long. This flight is the only chance most of these boys have. Not to mention we’re surrounded by commies. There’s no way we’d all survive being P.O.Ws.” He looked at Belle and sighed, “We have to at least try it. We’re just going to have to take a chance getting through all of it.” Belle smiled, “I’m willing if you are.” He gazed lovingly at her trusting bright eyes and face full of determination. Jefferson sighed, “Between enemy ground fire and our own air fire, we’re between the devil and the deep blue sea.” Gold gave a halfhearted smile, “Well, if we have to get it, I can’t imagine a better way to go than at the hands of our own navy.” Jefferson rolled his eyes and they set up for takeoff. 

Their plane slowly made the climb and took heavy machine gun fire from the ground. The bullets riddled the side of the plane and pinged loudly as they echoed through the cargo hold. Gold prayed, “Climb baby, climb” as Jefferson announced their altitude, “900, 1000…” Gold scanned the skies as Jefferson announced “1300”. Jefferson looked uneasily out the window of the cockpit as they saw the flash of explosions and the sound of gunfire around them. Jefferson swallowed hard, “Maybe we ought to drop down a little?”

Gold shook his head, “No. Ground fire stops at about 1200 ft. and the navy’s fire is at about 1500.”

They all continued to pray silently and by some miracle they made it, and in a few hours, they were attempting to rest in the cold tents at yet another camp. Archie walked over to where Gold was watching Belle a little way away rubbing her arms in an attempt to stay warm. Archie sighed, “Sometimes I wish she’d break an arm.” Gold bristled, “What?” Archie put up his hands in surrender, “Not bad! Just enough to buy her a rest ticket so she could get some sleep. She works too hard.” Gold shrugged and sighed, “she does.” Archie left and Belle came over to join Gold. “They’ve never held us overnight at the perimeter before. Double alert and keep your shoes on. I don’t like it.” Gold put his arms around her and held her close. Belle whimpered in his arms. “It’s just getting so rough. I’ll never forget Pohang. Those poor kids… sick, wounded, and bleeding climbing up the ladder into the plane…” Gold stopped her, “Put it out of your mind.” He pressed a kiss to her head. “I know you’d never quit, and I wouldn’t ask you to, but this war is quitting us.”

But just as things seemed their darkest, the tides turned and the ground forces retook Seoul. Belle and Gold were on the plane once again and headed that way. Gold had smiled to Belle as she entered the cockpit, “Our newly liberated POWs are going to be happy to see you.” They landed and got to work loading the POWs on to the plane. Belle was greeted by an excited Ariel. Belle hugged her friend, “Fancy seeing you here.” Ariel hugged her back. “Me and my tech Eric are going to be helping you out on this flight.” Belle smiled, “Well I am certainly glad of the help.” 

They get the patients loaded on board and set off. One of the patients had to be restrained because he is lashing out at everyone like a wild animal. Belle whispered to Ariel, “Oh god, what have they done to him?” Ariel sighed sadly, “I’ve listened to some of the POWs give testimony about their time and it’s horrific.” At first the flight went as expected, but all at once the wild and crazed patient broke free and made a dash for the cargo bay door. Eric leapt up after him, but got to him a moment too late. The patient had pulled the emergency release sending the door flying off and careening into the wing of the cargo plane. Jefferson rushed back to see what was going on. When he returned to Gold, his face was grave, “The lunatic back there pulled the emergency release on the door. It flew back and clobbered the left stabilizer.” Gold grunted as he tried to keep control of the plane, “Jefferson, I don’t think we can get her home. We’re gonna have to ditch her. We’re going down and the controls aren’t responding.” Jefferson nodded and called in to base. He then called up Belle and Ariel, “We’re going down. You’ve got about five minutes to get Mae West’s on everyone back there.”

Jefferson blew the escape hatch then continued to call in their position to base. “Air rescue is on its way.” Gold nodded, “Give the two minute warning.” Jefferson flipped a switch twice and a bell rang in the hold. Belle and Ariel yelled to the men. “Hit the deck. Inflate your vests. When we hit the water we will float a few minutes. We’ll inflate the rafts and file in one at a time.”

Jefferson counted down the altitude. Gold held the plane as still as he could and told Jefferson when to put down the half flaps, turn on the emergency lights, and sound the alarm bell.   
Ariel yelled out, “Crash positions!”

Just as they were about to hit the water, one of the patients they had strapped down began to remove his restraints. Belle leapt up to stop him. Ariel shouted, “Belle no!”

CRASH! SPLASH!

Belle was thrown forward and hit her head on the hard metal of the cockpit door. 

Gold told Jefferson to get the crew raft out. “I’m going back to help.” Ho opened the cockpit door to see Belle lying unconscious and bleeding in Archie’s arms. “What happened?!” Gold cried. Archie looked shell shocked as he stuttered, “She was trying to tie down a patient as we struck.”

Ariel and Eric were tying the rafts together and loading them.   
Gold pulled Belle into his arms. “Come on Hopper. We’ll take her to the crew raft.” 

***

They floated in the dark, foggy, cold listening for the rescue planes.   
Ariel checked on Belle, “I hope it’s nothing more than a concussion. Keep her covered and warm.”  
Gold nodded and pulled the blanket tighter around them. 

The white light of the flares flashed down on them and then they were in darkness once again.  
It seemed like an eternity until dawn began to shine down on them. They sent up a balloon to show their location, then they continued to wait. 

Hopper was examining Belle as Gold held her. Gold sighed, “Do you think it’s a skull fracture?” Archie shook his head, “I don’t know sir. It seems like she’s blind in this one eye. It don’t react right.” Belle mumbled, “R-rob-ert.” Gold rocked her gently, “I’m here sweetheart.” Just then they saw the air rescue plane headed their way. Gold smiled sadly, “Goodbye sweetheart. I love you.” He pressed a kiss to her head. 

***

Days of blackness led into weeks of convalescence. Belle had awoken to a photo of Robert on her bedside table and a letter telling her that he loves her and that they are going to get their happily ever after. Belle pressed a kiss to the glass of the photo’s frame and sighed. As the weeks went on and she had yet to see Robert she began to worry. He just can’t get the time to see me, that’s all. She told herself this, but she still worried that there was something else keeping him away. She asked around for news of her crew until she had been told that the camp that her crew had been working at had been hit hard without warning. She had grabbed her walker and struggled to make her way to the list of the dead and had felt herself freeze when she saw the name Capt. Robert Gold. Belle lost track of time after that. She simply wandered around like a zombie until she found herself in the garden at the center of the hospital. She saw a lovely red rose bloom on one of the bushes there and she broke down into sobs. Belle was taken back to her room and was surprised to see Ariel waiting for her there. Ariel hugged her tightly and sent the orderlies away. She helped her to her bed. “Belle, Gold is alive.” Belle shook her head no, she is too afraid to hope. But Ariel placed her hands on the sides of Belle’s head. “He is. My crew was the one who air lifted him here.” Belle’s eyes lit with a glimmer of hope at her words, “He’s here?”

Ariel smiled, “Yes.”

Belle pulled at Ariel’s shirt, “You have to take me to him.” 

“He’s still being checked out, but we can wait on the ward floor for him.” Ariel helped Belle into a wheelchair and wheeled her to the ward that Robert was to be brought to.

“Belle!” Belle turned to the sound of her name and smiled when she saw Jefferson in a bed at the end of the ward. Ariel pushed Belle over. “I’m so glad to see you up and about Belle. We hadn’t heard any news about you and Gold was on his way to a nervous breakdown worrying over you.”

Belle placed her hand on Jefferson’s arm, “How is he?” Jefferson shrugged, “I don’t know. He saved us all you know. He got us all to cover, but then the explosions … he wasn’t able to make it to us. When it was all over he was set aside with the dead, but he was just unconscious. In a coma is what Archie called it. I guess that happens sometimes when you get concussed.”

Belle felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes, “it does.”

Just then Robert was wheeled onto the ward and his bed placed beside Jefferson’s. Belle wheeled herself to Robert’s bedside and took his hand into her own. “I’m here darling. Remember what you told me, you said we were going to get our happy ever after. Please wake up darling. You have to hold onto our future, just like you told me to do. Please.” Robert groaned and opened his eyes only to squeeze them shut. “Too bright…” he muttered. Belle leaned over him and let her hair drape around him like a curtain. He tentatively opened his eyes again, “Much better.” He smiled weakly up at her. “Is this real or am I dead?” Belle smiled down at him through her tears, “This is real.” Robert took a breath, “so we’re alive or are we both dead?” Belle chuckled, “We are alive.” Robert smiled, “Oh good.”

***

After some much needed convalescence, Robert and Belle were released and given permission to go home on disability. They decided to start fresh in a place neither of them had been before, and they ended up settling on a small town in Maine that happened to have a beautiful Victorian home for sale fully furnished. The old man they bought it from seemed to like them because he offered to sell Robert his antiques business as well. The town turned out to be full of gossipy busy bodies who didn’t give a flying fig about their well-being, but Robert and Belle were too happy to care. They had each other and a roof over their heads and they were on their way to making their happily ever after.


End file.
